Raw Food Weight Loss Program

7 Healthy Hair Hacks to Grow your Mermaid Mane!

May 2, 2017

The two most common questions I get asked are ‘is it real?’ and ‘how’d you get it so long?!’

Currently down to my waist, thick like a horse’s tail, and loaded with bleach blonde highlights, (which have been blended, weaved and balayaged by a select few stylists that were put through thorough cross-examinations before entrusted with my tresses), my mermaid mane has always been my most prized physical attribute.

But it hasn’t just been genetics that gifted me with long, shiny locks. I’ve paid meticulous detail to diet, care and products over the years, and it’s time to share my sexy strand secrets!

Here’s my 7 favourite healthy hair hacks to grow your mermaid mane:

1. Eat all the fat!

Yes, that’s right. Eat more fatty acids!

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for healthy hair and can be found in flaxseed oil, chia seeds, walnuts, spinach and even acai!

About a year ago I started swallowing 1 tbsp of flaxseed oil every morning to keep my skin soft, but noticed that my hair became so much glossier and shinier as well!

Clinical studies have found that a diet lacking in Omega-3 fatty acids can make your hair look opaque and feel dry. By just adding a few simple foods to your diet, you’re on your way to healthier, shinier mermaid hair!

2. Eat your greens!

Want long flowing hair? Eat your greens, baby!

Plant proteins are bursting with nutrients that feed your follicles! Our hair is made up of 90% of the protein keratin, and a vegan diet is filled with protein sources!

Sprouts, for instance, are an excellent source of raw vegan protein, but they also have the added bonus of dietary fibre, Vitamin K, folate, pantothenic acid and a whole host of other vitamins and minerals.

Spinach, kale, broccoli, parsley and cucumbers also have powerful protein in every single bite.

And if you really want to go for gold (or for gas), nothing beats beans! Black, kidney, pinto – take your pick! White beans, though, win the the most potent protein prize (say that 10x fast!) with 17.42 gram of protein in 1 cup!

If you haven’t heard, a diet lacking in iron can lead to a lot of hair loss! Iron deficiency and anemia go hand-in-hand and sufferers will often notice that their hair thins and weakens if their iron levels are low.

Vegans and vegetarians are notorious for having low iron levels because of an unbalanced diet. But, once again, dark leafy green vegetables are your very best friends!

BASICALLY just eat kale, spinach, swiss chard, beet greens and sprouts and have mermaid hair and live forever!

4. Deep condition with coconut oil!

Not only does it have about a bajillion other self-improvement uses, coconut oil is my absolute favourite product for my hair!

No, you can’t use it every day (unless you like the runway greaseball look, then hav’atter), but once a month drench your tresses in coconut oil from root to tip and sleep with your hair wrapped in an old pillowcase. Wake up the next morning and shampoo it all out 2-3 times in a row, followed by a small dollop of conditioner, and your hair will be the shiniest and softest its ever been!

What sorcery is this? Coconut oil softens our over-heated, over-processed, and over-styled strands by penetrating deep into the shaft (that’s what she said?). It’s also a great source of lauric acid, which supports hormone & cellular health.

Don’t believe me? Just try it!

5. Never rush the brush!

This rule doesn’t just apply after you’ve deep conditioned- it applies every single day of your life!!!

From a very young age, I learned that pretty hair takes time. I can vividly remember my mother chasing me around with a hair brush, trying to detangle my very knotted, tomboy adventure-ravaged hair. When I wouldn’t sit still, guess what happened? Chopped!

All it took was one incredibly scarring ‘mushroom cut’ in grade 2 to learn my lesson. You want long pretty hair, ladies? You’re going to have to brush it with tender loving care EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Whenever I see a woman in the locker room hacking away at her wet, tangled hair, I get shivers down my spine. Even now that my hair is just creeping past my belly button, I still set aside 5-10 minutes to very carefully detangle it after every wash.

Combs are better suited to detangling, but not always necessary. Simply start with small sections at a time and carefully ‘floss’ the tangles out while your hair is still wet, beginning with the ends and working your way up.

And don’t be afraid to take control! I have a reuptation with my stylists for NEVER letting them brush my wet hair. Yes, even the person you trust most with your pretty hair still wants to get the brushing over and done with fast. I just make sure I politely ask to brush it out myself, and NEVER RUSH THE BRUSH!

6. Wash your hair every 3 days

I’ve experimented with all different lengths of time in-between shampoos, and 3 days seems to be the magic number.

Washing your hair every single day is too drying, but if you go longer than 3 days your scalp begins to smell like a gym bag (no matter how much you perfume it).

If you’re a blond, baby powder is a super cheap dry shampoo that works really well at giving your hair texture and volume on day 2 and 3! Don’t overdue it, but a little dusting all over your scalp, rubbed in and shaken up, will bring a whole new level of sex kitten vibes to your mane before you’re ready to give it another scrub!

7. Protect your scalp!

Don’t be a brat, where a hat!

My heritage is Irish, Scottish, Dutch, German and Russian… and the sun is not my friend.

Yes, we all need Vitamin D in our lives, but it’s extremely important to protect our skin and hair from ultraviolet rays.

The funny part is, sun-kissed skin and hair look so beautiful… at first!